


A New Player

by exposeyou



Series: Mergers & Acquisitions [2]
Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 23:37:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5109656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exposeyou/pseuds/exposeyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lilah discovers someone from California has followed her east.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Player

When Lilah got to her office, four days after bleeding out in the alley and two days after firing the live-in nurse the firm had sent her, she found more flowers. Some from the senior partners, a fruit basket from Pam, in Human Resources, that included a note saying how she was going to send muffins but didn’t want to ruin Lilah’s low-carb diet. That was thoughtful. Maybe she had made a friend there? That was a novel idea.

There was also a bright and cheerful bunch of pink and purple tulips. Lilah flipped the card to see _Get well soon, boss. Butler_ and frowned.

That didn’t make sense. Her attention was soon taken up by her teeming email inbox and she forgot all about it until their scheduled lunch meeting.

Lilah ordered steak tagliata with a side of spinach to be delivered from the chic bistro across the street. She needed extra iron and protein to help her heal, and unfortunately they couldn’t actually eat _in_ the chic little bistro due to the sensitive nature of the meeting.

Butler showed up promptly and with a stack of files. “Good see you again, Ms Morgan. You’re looking very well. But I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news,” he said as he flipped open a manila folder.

Lilah hovered, her welcoming hug blocked by the wad of paper. He looked surprised to see her standing so close. Had she misread their familiarity entirely? She steadied herself.

“I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life. And for the flowers, although I must admit that two bouquets seems like overkill, and the first were rather more to my taste than –“

And Butler was _still_ wearing his ‘surprised’ face. He snapped the folder shut with one hand and adjusted the cuffs of his suit. It was a nervous gesture she recognised from Wesley, although with him of course it took the form of fidgeting with his glasses.

“Lilah, I – you’re welcome for the flowers. But I only sent the one bunch, and I certainly haven’t saved your life – yet. Unless you mean the security systems on the company brownstone…?”

Lilah massaged her temples. Something very strange was going on and she was not sure she was on enough pain medication to deal with it. “So it wasn’t you who found me in the alleyway nearby and took me to the hospital?”

“No, Ms Morgan.”

At which point, of course, Lilah’s PA buzzed to announce that the food had been delivered. “That’s great, Jane, bring it in,” Lilah all but barked down the intercom.

Jane was conscientious, hardworking, and professional enough to not be offended by the way that the pair completely ignored her as she set their plates down in front of them.

Butler returned to the folder, and filled Lilah in on what unfolded since they had last seen each other. “There have been a spate of vampire killings across the river. Some demons too. We’ve been keeping an eye on the situation but weren’t unduly worried until the last few days, when we noticed more activity than usual in Boston itself.”

“The forces of darkness are moving in?”

“Well, not exactly.”

Lilah took the sheet of paper he proffered, and saw something she wasn’t expecting to see. The list of dates, locations and times were accompanied by a ‘deceased’ column, sure, but it didn’t list people. Rather “unknown vampire, male”, “M’Fashnik breeding pair”, and the like. She noted that her own kill hadn’t been included. At least that meant the firm didn’t have her under surveillance.

Butler was waiting for her reaction. Lilah pursed her lips together before responding. “So when you said ‘vampire killings’, you didn’t mean the traditional kind of ‘excuse me, Miss, you appear to have something on your throat’ kind of killings? Something is actually taking out the” – she made air quotes – “’baddies’ in this situation?”

_I swear, if Angel has followed me halfway across this country to keep bothering me I will stake him myself._

“Exactly, Lilah, and whilst these attacks seem inconsequential now, I wanted to alert you straight away in case they had a bearing on your plans for the department.”

She nodded. “If he starts killing my clients again I will not be happy. Something needs to be done.”

“I quite agree, but ‘he’? The killer is a woman. Dark-haired, young, athletic.”

Lilah stole a look at the sneakers under her desk and remembered the stake in her drawer. She swallowed.

Butler passed her a glossy 10x4. “See? We have visual.” In the photo she saw a face she recognised.

Of course.

Faith. 


End file.
